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[David Lance POV]
After months of hard work, I had finally completed Master Kirigi's training. Discovering a lot about myself in the process and about Master Kirigi as well, who I had found during my training, had at one point been associated with the League of Assassins as one of their members.
Based on what I had found, he was apparently retired.
Batman obviously knew about this, meaning that in some form, he trusted the old man enough to train me.
However, as much as I trusted Batman's judgment, I still couldn't shake the feeling that this little thing would come and bite me in the ass one day.
"Ready to leave, I see..." Kirigi said as he entered my room at the temple.
I nodded.
"Remember, you might have mastered the basics during your time here, but you still have a long way ahead of you. Never stop training, never stop improving, always seek perfection even if this feels unreachable," Kirigi smiled slightly.
~I will,~ I promised with a respectful bow, one from student to master. Assassin or not, he had taught me a lot during my time here. And for that, I would be forever grateful.
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Easy enough, after leaving Master Kirigi's temple, I reached the coast of North Korea in around five hours at jogging speed. Where after making sure no one was around, I promptly dived into the water, starting my journey back to the deserted island I had left my boat at.
For the next following hours, I swam at a leisurely pace, enjoying the sensation of the water flowing past me. Eventually, after some time, I reached the island and made my way to where I had hidden my boat, finding it just where I had left it, hidden behind some trees,
Smiling, I grabbed the boat with one hand, carrying it back into the sea.
I was quite happy, to be entirely honest. Not only I had finished my training regime in record time, but somehow, I felt more at peace with myself, more so than I had ever felt before.
Maybe it had something to do with the feeling of accomplishment this journey had given me.
Or maybe, I was simply ecstatic that I would see my sister, Rachel, and Oliver soon enough. Who knows?
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The trip back to South Korea was, as expected, uneventful and without any delays, and because of that, I arrived at the port early in the morning, where I quickly unloaded my stuff before giving the deeds to the boat to the first person I saw.
From there, I got a cab and told the driver with a note to take me to the nearest hotel so that I could get some well-deserved rest before going back to Star City.
A few minutes later, we arrived at the hotel. Ready to take a shower and go to sleep, I entered the lobby and approached the counter, giving the receptionist a note that said that I wanted a room, and didn't care what room.
"Of course, sir. How many nights will you be staying with us?" The receptionist asked with a smile.
I raised two fingers in response to her question.
"Very well." The receptionist nodded before typing something into the computer behind her desk. "Cash, right?"
I nodded, quickly giving her around two hundred dollars in local currency.
"Thank you, sir." The receptionist said as she took the cash and gave me a key. "Your room is on the second floor, room 212."
I smiled at her before picking up my backpack and making my way to the room. Once there, I unlocked the door and entered, tossing my backpack on the bed before making my way to the bathroom, where I quickly stripped down and got into the shower.
Letting the steaming hot water run on my back as I stood still in place, slowly beginning to relax, before taking some soap. After a few minutes of being in the water, I got out of the shower and dried myself off before getting dressed in something comfortable.
Exhausted from the trip, I laid down on the bed and turned on the TV, flipping through the channels for a few moments until I found something interesting to put in the background as I slowly drifted off to sleep.
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The very next morning, I woke up to a familiar sound, the sound of one of Rachel's portals opening up in my room.
~What brings you to my humble abode?~ I said as I sat up, stretching a bit.
"Batman told me your training was complete, so... I came here to give you a ride..." Rachel replied sheepishly.
~You are a lifesaver,~ I beamed at her before getting up from the bed and giving her a hug. ~It's good to see you; I really missed you.~
I honestly hadn't considered the possibility of calling Rachel to open a portal back to Star City at all. The option simply flew above my head.
"Magic has its perks." Rachel said in a soft tone as she returned the hug. "So, how was your training trip?"
I took a deep breath before replying. ~It was... good. I feel like I accomplished something.~
"That's great to hear." Rachel smiled.
~What about you? How's your training with my sister?~ I asked, taking a seat on my bed.
"I rather... not talk about it," Rachel replied, looking away.
~That bad?~ I asked.
"Bad is an understatement..." Rachel nodded with just a hint of a smile.
~Well, you know what they say. Practice makes the master,~ I replied with a small nod, quoting Master Kirigi.
However, instead of my quote helping her mood, she turned towards me sharply, giving me a look that said... really? you are really going to said that?
~Let me pack my things...~ I smiled, slowly making my way to my backpack.
"Very well," Rachel nodded, taking a seat on my bed as I started to pack my things.
~Wanna have some breakfast before we leave?~ I asked. I mean, we were in South Korea; we might as well do something while we were here.
"Sure," Rachel smiled before packing all of my stuff in my backpack; with a simple move of her hand, using her magic, she even made the bed. "I feel like trying some of the local food."
I smiled, grabbing my backpack. ~Very well then, lead the way.~
"I read in a book that South Korea has some of the best vegetarian restaurants," Rachel said as we made our way to the door.
~Say no more. Let's try some of them. I'm paying!~
"You mean Oliver?" Rachel shot back with a small smile.
Le gasp! I would never! ~No, Batman is paying. Oliver already paid for this hotel.~